The FWAG Silver Lapwing Award

A Cumbrian Farmer has been recognised by the farming and conservation industry for his outstanding efforts to promote good habitat and environmental management on his farm. Giles Mounsey-Heysham was awarded the highly-coveted ‘Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group National Silver Lapwing Award’, which is now in its 41st year. The award recognises farmers who go the extra mile to protect and enhance the countryside in which they farm. Giles was awarded from a national shortlist of seven farms, each selected for demonstrating outstanding commitment to good environmental practices, alongside running successful farm businesses.

The 2018 FWAG Silver Lapwing Award was presented to Giles Mounsey-Heysham on Thursday 21st June 2018 by Charles Beaumont, Silver Lapwing Head Judge, Martin Hole, Silver Lapwing Judge, and Duncan Sinclair, Agriculture Manager for Waitrose. This year the award ceremony was jointly hosted by Suffolk FWAG and the 2017 Silver Lapwing winner Edward Flatt, at Edward’s farm in Suffolk.

Many attendees from all sectors of the British farming and agriculture industry attended the award presentation and lunch. The presentation was followed by a tour of Eastwood Farm, which highlighted some of the reasons why Edward won the Silver Lapwing in 2017.

Giles Mounsey-Heysham of Castletown Estate Farms on winning the Silver Lapwing award; ‘I am very honoured to be presented with the Silver Lapwing Award, against such stiff competition. It is a testament to my team at Castletown Estate and this will motivate us to continue our conservation work on the farm. We will be proud to hold the Lapwing for the next year and feel privileged to be part of this award’.

Above: Guests on a farm walk of Eastwood Farm, led by Tim Schofield, FWAG Suffolk Farm Conservation Adviser, who has worked closely with Edward Flatt at the farm, and Andrew Cooper, Managing Director at Walnes Seeds.